updated 11:25 am EDT, Mon June 4, 2007

Sony BDP-S300 Ships

Sony today began shipping its least expensive Blu-Ray player, the BDP-S300. The new reader is not only the company's most affordable but has also seen a price drop from $599 to $499 for its official launch, making it the first complete Blu-Ray player to ship for less than the $599, 60GB PlayStation 3. Few sacrifices have been made to reach the price, Sony adds. The S300 can display full 1080p signals when using HDMI, and includes HDMI 1.3 for support of x.v.Color for deeper color depths on supporting movies and TVs. Audio support includes Dolby Digital Plus as well as earlier 5.1 surround formats.

In addition to shipping the S300, the company also slashed the price on the flagship BDP-S1 player to $799 and promised a software update to bring its audio up to par with the new player, adding Dolby Digital Plus as well as True HD. The new pricing takes effect immediately, though the patch should be available next week.